小蓝视频’s $500 million strategic investment fund should fall under the province’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael McEvoy says.
It’s a matter of transparency and accountability in managing public funds, he said.
Announced April 27, the provincial government said the In小蓝视频 Investment Corp. (In小蓝视频) will use the funds to provide 小蓝视频-based businesses with capital to compete in the post-pandemic economy.
In小蓝视频 is charged with managing that $500 million in public funds aimed at investing in 小蓝视频’s business and innovation sectors.
But, said McEvoy, the government has yet to decide whether In小蓝视频 will be subject to FIPPA.
“There can be no doubt that, despite its investment independence from government—an independence shared by other public bodies covered by FIPPA—the public’s trust of In小蓝视频 will depend upon its ongoing transparency and accountability,” McEvoy said.
“The public’s right of access to information under FIPPA, tempered by exceptions that can appropriately protect In小蓝视频’s and third-party interests, is vitally important to achieving and keeping that trust,” he said.
To that end, to Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation Ravi Kahlon and Minister of Citizens’ Services Lisa Beare requesting that In小蓝视频 be covered by FIPPA.
McEvoy wrote that agencies such as IC小蓝视频, 小蓝视频 Hydro, the 小蓝视频 Investment Management Corporation and Innovate小蓝视频 falling under FIPPA sets a precedent for In小蓝视频 to also be covered by the legislation.
Further, he wrote, it is not an answer that coverage is unneeded as In小蓝视频 will be required to release annual reports and will be subject to external reviews.
“Its annual reports are to be in a form and manner specified by the minister and external reviews will occur only every five years,” McEvoy said. “These accountability mechanisms fall far short of what is needed and lack the ongoing transparency afforded through the access to information regime.”
And, he said, business interests of In小蓝视频 and parties with whom it does business “can be fully protected by FIPPA’s robust access exceptions.”
The ministries had not commented by deadline.
